1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic device management and more particularly relates to redundant device management.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic device monitoring and management is a common task in a computing environment. The reliability of such computing systems is critical because of the potential financial impact that may accompany a device failure. Additionally, such computing systems are often very dynamic, with devices being installed and removed often. Management of addressing information in such systems may be an arduous task. For example, if a device is added to a common computing system, the system administrator must obtain certain addressing and configuration information, such as a Media Access Control (MAC) address, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a Domain Name Service (DNS) name, and the like, in order to configure the monitoring and management system to communicate with the newly installed device.
One such system requiring device management is a network of managed Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) devices. A typical UPS device includes a battery that provides power to an electronic device in the event of a power outage. Typical UPS devices are capable of powering an electronic device for several minutes on battery power alone. In general, the UPS device detects the power outage and applies battery power to the electronic device before the power outage is perceived by the electronic device. Certain UPS devices also include software applications configured to backup data stored on the electronic device, and shut down the electronic device in response to detecting a power outage. Thus, UPS devices are generally configurable to perform certain custom operations in addition to providing battery power in response to a detected power outage.
In general, there are two main types of UPS devices. The first type is a Standby Power System (SPS). An SPS monitors the power line and switches to battery power as soon as it detects a power outage on the line. The switch to battery power generally requires several milliseconds. The electronic device may not receive power during the switch period. This outage may be perceived by certain highly sensitive systems. Standby Power Systems are sometimes called Line-interactive UPSes.
The second type is an on-line UPS. The on-line UPS avoids power lapses by constantly providing power from its own inverter, even when the power line is functioning properly. Thus, an on-line UPS does not require any switching mechanism for applying battery power, and the conversion from line power to battery power is unperceivable by the electronic device. In general, an on-line UPS is more expensive than an SPS. Consequently, on-line UPS devices are typically employed in mission critical computing systems.
In general, the UPS devices provide power to computing or networking devices. UPS devices are most prevalent in business environments, where reliability of data stored on computing devices and consistent access to that data is critical for business activities. For example, UPS devices are typically used to power application servers, network routers, and shared enclosures for data disks or computing peripherals.
In such systems, UPS devices are commonly monitored and managed by a UPS management device. The UPS management device generally monitors the status of the UPS device. Additionally, the UPS management device commonly communicates configuration data to the UPS device. In typical systems, the UPS management device communicates with the UPS device over Ethernet connections using TCP/IP protocols or through individual discrete cables connected directly between the UPS management device and the UPS device.